JACKSON – Organizing high school baseball and softball tournaments consisting of four brackets and 40 teams is tricky enough. Add in a few last-minute drop-outs, and it can get downright frustrating.
But after a last-minute push to fill vacancies on short notice and finding an extra diamond or two on which play, the Al Glick Baseball and Softball Classic is set for 2014.
Tournament organizer Chuck Sprang wanted this year’s tournaments to consist of 20 teams each, but one baseball team and three softball clubs excused themselves from the tournament.
The challenges forced Sprang to re-consider plans for further tournament expansion.
“With the experience I’ve had this year, 20 is the max. I’m not going to try and go any more than 20,” Sprang said. “If somebody does drop on me, I can’t contact a Pittsford or North Adams (because of league schedule conflicts).”
Sprang filled the void in the baseball tournament by bringing Napoleon’s junior varsity team into a four-team round-robin pool along with East Jackson, Grass Lake and Lenawee Christian, in addition to two brackets of eight teams each.
The softball tournaments will consist of an eight-team bracket and a nine-team bracket.
While the format of the brackets remains the same as last year – pairing teams based on competitive balance – the tournament will spread over two days, instead of one.
Opening-round games will be played Friday while second-round and championship games will be Saturday.
“A lot of (coaches) felt it was a long day,” Sprang said of the one-day format. “Most of the coaches were saying for pitching purposes and other things, let’s (spread it out).”
One game, however, is slated for Wednesday afternoon. Jackson Lumen Christi and Hudson baseball teams both had conference games previously re-scheduled for Friday. Playing Wednesday presented the Titans and Tigers the only option to fulfill their league obligations and remain the tournament. Lumen Christi and Hudson play at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Lumen Christi.
AL GLICK BASEBALL CLASSIC
Douglas Fracker Memorial Bracket
Wednesday
5 p.m.
Game 1: Hudson at Jackson Lumen Christi
Friday
5 p.m.
Game 2: Parma Western at Jackson
Game 3: Hillsdale at Jackson Northwest
Game 4: Homer at Michigan Center
Saturday
10 a.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, at Jackson
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, at Hanover-Horton
Game 7: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, at Jackson College
Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, at Michigan Center
1 p.m.
3rd-place game: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, at Hanover-Horton
5th-place game: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, at Michigan Center
7th-place game: Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8, at Jackson College
5:30 p.m.
Championship game: Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, at Jackson
Brent Beeler Memorial Bracket
Friday
5 p.m.
Game 1: Manchester at Hanover-Horton
Game 2: Springport at Vandercook Lake
Game 3: Jonesville at Brooklyn Columbia Central
Game 4: Addison at Napoleon
Saturday
10 a.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, at Vandercook Lake
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, at Columbia Central
Game 7: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, at Manchester
Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, at Napoleon
1 p.m.
3rd place-game: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, at Manchester
5th place-game: Winner of Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, at Vandercook Lake
7th place-game: Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8, at Napoleon
2 p.m.
Championship game
Winner Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, at Jackson
Ralph Bowen round-robin pool tournament
Friday
5 p.m.
Lenawee Christian at Grass Lake
Napoleon junior varsity at East Jackson
Saturday
10 a.m.
Napoleon JV at Grass Lake
Lenawee Christian at East Jackson
2 p.m.
East Jackson at Grass Lake
Lenawee Christian vs. Napoleon JV, at East Jackson
AL GLICK SOFTBALL CLASSIC
Donald Wheeler Memorial Bracket
Friday
5 p.m.
Game 1: Hanover-Horton at Napoleon
Game 2: Springport at Jackson Northwest
Game 3: Manchester at Grass Lake
Game 4: Jackson Lumen Christi at Brooklyn Columbia Central
Saturday
10 a.m.
Game 5: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, at Napoleon
Game 6: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, at Columbia Central
Game 7: Loser of Game 1 vs. Loser of Game 2, at Grass Lake
Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, at Manchester
1 p.m.
3rd place game: Loser of Game 5 vs. Loser of Game 6, at Columbia Central
5th place game: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner of Game 8, at Manchester
7th place game: Loser of Game 7 vs. Loser of Game 8, at Napoleon
5:30 p.m.
Championship game
Winner of Game 5 vs. Winner of Game 6, at Jackson
Matt Soper Memorial Bracket
Friday
5 p.m.
Game 1: Hillsdale at East Jackson
Game 2: Addison vs. Hudson, at Columbia Central
Game 3: Homer at Jackson
Game 4: Jonesville vs. Parma Western, at Michigan Center
Saturday
9 a.m.
Game 5: Loser of Game 1 vs. Michigan Center*, at Michigan Center
10 a.m.
Game 6: Winner of Game 1 vs. Winner of Game 2, at East Jackson
Game 7: Winner of Game 3 vs. Winner of Game 4, at Columbia Central
Game 8: Loser of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 4, at Jackson
Game 9: Loser of Game 2 vs. Winner of Game 5, at Michigan Center
1 p.m.
3rd place game: Loser of Game 6 vs. Loser of Game 7, at East Jackson
5th place game: Winner of Game 8 vs. Remaining Team from Game 9**, at Columbia Central
7th place game: Loser of Game 8 vs. Loser of Game 5, at Michigan Center
2 p.m.
Championship game
Winner of Game 6 vs. Winner of Game 7
* Michigan Center chose to only play two games Saturday and will not play Friday
** No team can play more than three games, so Game 5 winner cannot advance beyond Game 9
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